Cameroon RPCV Tom Lewis to be director of state affairs for the Johns Hopkins Institutions

Tom Lewis, 48, a General Assembly veteran who has worked in the speaker's office since 1994, announced Thursday that he will resign in late July to become Johns Hopkins' director of state affairs, a job where he will lobby the legislature on an array of matters related to the university and medical school.

ANNAPOLIS -- The hiring of House Speaker Michael E. Busch's top aide for a key lobbying job at Johns Hopkins University and Health System has drawn sharp criticism from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s top spokesmen.

Tom Lewis, 48, a General Assembly veteran who has worked in the speaker's office since 1994, announced Thursday that he will resign in late July to become Johns Hopkins' director of state affairs, a job where he will lobby the legislature on an array of matters related to the university and medical school.

"The chance to work on behalf of Johns Hopkins was a rare opportunity that I felt I could not turn down," Lewis said. "Johns Hopkins is the largest private employer in the state, it is an outstanding university, and it is one of the best medical institutions in the country."

Ehrlich aides immediately attacked the hiring as inappropriate and hypocritical.

Democrats have launched an investigation into the Ehrlich administration, accusing the governor of placing his allies in high-paying jobs throughout state government, said Paul E. Schurick, the governor's communications director, leveling the same charge at Lewis and Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis.

"This is very troubling," Schurick said Thursday. "In this hypercharged political atmosphere in Annapolis, these types of perceived conflicts are very troubling. It's things like this that gave this town the reputation for having a culture of corruption."

Asked if the administration would pressure Johns Hopkins to rescind its job offer to Lewis, Schurick declined to comment, saying only that "these types of obvious conflicts should be avoided."

Schurick's comments were met with equally blistering intensity from Busch. The speaker noted that Lewis has a reputation in Annapolis of "impeccable integrity," and for the governor's aides to criticize the hire "is beyond the pale."

There is no similarity between Lewis' new job and the hirings and firings made by the Ehrlich administration, Busch said. Lewis has a legal, policy and governmental background that makes him "an ideal fit" as a lobbyist for Johns Hopkins.

"This is yet another example of the petty, immature actions by people who the citizens of the state should expect more from," Busch said. "This type of criticism typifies the petty behavior that this administration has exemplified since coming into office three years ago."

Ehrlich's press secretary Greg Massoni was more vitriolic.

"Tom Lewis deserves an award for ruining the political careers of two consecutive speakers," Massoni said, a slap at the defeat of former House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., a Democrat, in 2002. The Republican Party -- with full support of the Ehrlich administration -- has made Busch its top target in 2006.

"Both Cas Taylor and I are lucky and couldn't be more proud to have Tom Lewis working for us," Busch retorted.

The speaker said he was appalled that Lewis would be attacked by Schurick one week after Busch and many other Democrats praised Steven L. Kreseski, the governor's former chief of staff, who left the administration to pursue a Washington lobbying career.

Taylor, who is now a lobbyist, said Thursday that Lewis is "like a son to me."

"I can't think of anyone in the institution of the legislature who is more moral and more committed to public integrity than Tom Lewis," he said. "He served me with extreme dedication and commitment and insightful thinking."

Lewis began working for the legislature in 1983, serving as counsel to the House Environmental Matters Committee until 1987. He left the legislature and joined the Peace Corps in Cameroon for two years, coming back to Annapolis in the mid-1990s where he returned to the Department of Legislative Services. Lewis was Taylor's top aide for eight years before Busch took over in 2003.

Although there are "revolving door" questions brought up by Schurick and others, many of Annapolis' top lobbyists have gone from being aides to the General Assembly's leaders to the private sector: Bruce C. Bereano was chief of staff to Steny H. Hoyer (D) when Hoyer was Senate president. J. William Pitcher, a lobbyist for health care and gambling interests, was a top aide to former Senate President Melvin A. "Mickey" Steinberg (D).

John Stierhoff was chief of staff to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach for eight years before moving to his successful lobbying career that includes representing many health care interests.

And Alan M. Rifkin was chief of staff to Gov. William Donald Schaefer (D) before becoming a lobbyist. Gerard E. Evans has a similar career path going from Miller's chief of staff to lobbyist.

"Having made a transition from the public sector to the private sector, I certainly understand the bumps ahead of Tom, but I have no doubt that he'll be able to negotiate his way with the utmost integrity," Stierhoff said. "No one brings more credibility to this position than Tom Lewis."

For his part, Lewis declined to respond to his critics in kind.

"I've had a very good relationship with the governor when he was a delegate and I was a staff person," Lewis said. "That has continued since the time he's been governor. I look forward to working with the governor in the future."

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Story Source: The Gazette

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Cameroon; State Government; University Administration

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